September 1984
His, for Better or Worse
I walked into Ralph's office early one day in 1982 and saw Ralph and Bob Coleman poring over a computer magazine. It seemed at first glance that, as two engineers, they were engrossed with some new computer marvel. "This is the way I think we should go," Ralph was saying, to which Bob agreed. "People have become so used to the ordinary kind that they don't pay much attention anymore. They're more likely to read something that is different."
I wondered mildly what they were talking about, but since I was also quite busy, I soon forgot all about it.
Several days later they were again deep in discussion and, I noticed, looking at the same page. "What on earth are you two doing?" I asked as I glanced over Ralph's shoulder. "Whatever is so fascinating about that page?" At first glance it looked like any other page of text except, as Ralph pointed out, it had a small notice right under the title that said, "This is a paid advertisement." Now I was really curious.
"Pastor _______ has offered to pay for a full page ad about the Center in one of the major Christian magazines. We're trying to figure out the format to use, and have decided to follow this design. We both feel that an ad that
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doesn't look like one may actually be more likely to be read. I've been working on what it should say, and Bob is working out the design. Tomorrow afternoon, we have to ship it by overnight express mail. That's really rushing it, but that's their deadline."
The next afternoon I saw the finished product just as they were putting it and the check in the mail. It consisted basically of seven astounding statements about the vigor and growth of the world Christian movement. In large handwriting scrawled across the top was the arresting phrase,
The Lord Thy God in the midst of thee is mighty!
Because of the text format, however, I frankly wondered if the ad would seem exciting enough to attract attention. "But," I reasoned, "a full page of anything is hard to miss!"
Several days went by, and we heard nothing. Finally Ralph called, asking if we had made the deadline.
"We're not accepting your ad," the editor told him.
"What? You're not accepting it?" Ralph wondered if he had heard right. "I thought you said you had space."
"Well, we do. But we have some problems with your ad."
"Just what I feared; the format must be too unconventional," Ralph thought. But he asked, "Can you tell me just what the problem is?"
"We don't believe what it says is true! To print it like it is would only embarrass you, and us!"
Ralph was stunned. And he thought, "What do we do now? What do you do when someone simply doesn't believe you, especially if you're speaking from your own area of expertise?" But he only said, "Can you give me an example?"
"Well, for one thing, you say here that there are at least a million Christians in most of the larger countries in the world. We can't believe that!"
"Then you also say that a thousand new churches open their doors every Sunday in Africa and Asia. How can that
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possibly be true?"
"And . . ." He was ready to go on, but Ralph interrupted.
"Just a minute! I can understand how you might find these things hard to believe. But that is the "punch" of the ad — most people don't have any hope, and can't easily believe such things. Nevertheless, they are true! Do you happen to know Warren Webster, the head of the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society?"
"Sure!"
"Would you believe him if he agreed with those statements?"
"Well, yes." The answer seemed uncertain. "But we've already replaced that page for this issue, and it's too late."
As he put down the phone, Ralph shook his head in disbelief. For fifteen years he had had his hand on the pulse of the church around the world. A thousand students representing every continent (and most of the countries) of the world had brought information in from their grassroots situations. He had not only gleaned available facts but tabulated and graphed them. He knew what he was talking about! Furthermore, Barrett's Encyclopedia1 had just come out and was an incomparable source of raw information which underlay statements like, "87 percent of the people in the world live in countries where there are at least 1,000,000 evangelical Christians."
Ralph recognized that few people had access to the kind of information he received, even the editors of America's leading evangelical magazine, who had just refused our ad. But the fact remained: if they could not believe what he said, would the general public? Would everyone think he was exaggerating the facts — or, worse yet, grossly dishonest?
And yet, if only American Christians could believe the truth, how encouraged they would be! How motivated to push ahead and finish the job of world evangelization. Like a winning football team, we would give it all we had instead of just struggling along passively or defensively. Apart from
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our own survival as an institution, it was really important to get those facts out to the public in a way they would be believed. But how?
Somewhat soberly Ralph dialed Dr. Webster. "Warren," he said, "I've got a problem that needs you help." And he explained what had happened. He went on to read the offensive statements from our "bright picture" ad.
"Ralph, I see no problem with that! Anyhow, I'd have to tell them that if I had any doubt about such statements the person I'd ask would be Ralph Winter!"
That comment was gratifying but did not solve the larger problem.
Several days later the mail brought back our unused ad. We could see where the editor in chief had tried to tone down a couple of statements but evidently had been too late.
The year before, the summer of 1981, we had learned that Christianity Today was running a news story about the Center. We were excited about this because we sorely needed free publicity. A few days before the magazine was to go to press, however, the main editor, a friend of Ralph's, called suggesting that he felt he should check some of the facts as written. Evidently the writer, someone we didn't know, had interviewed a person not closely associated with the Center structure who had given him all sorts of misinformation. It was too late in the publishing schedule to rewrite the entire article, so that as it finally appeared, it still contained 13 factual errors. These were minor in comparison with the three columns that had been cut, some of which could have seriously injured, if not actually killed, the future of the project. Fortunately, as in Ezra 5:4, God oversaw the situation so that little harm was done. But one of our daughters commented that the article in its final shape seemed a bit disjointed. One part was rather critical of the Center, another section highly complimentary and the third, halfway in between.
With this kind of exposure to Christian journalism, we
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were a bit surprised, but not terribly optimistic, when year or so later, Tim Stafford came on campus and wanted to interview Ralph for a possible cover article about him for Christianity Today.
During our daughters' high school years, we had subscribed to Young Life's Campus Life magazine, and I had always been well impressed with Tim Stafford's column. Years later we met him and his wife at a missionary conference where they (and Ralph and I) were speaking. They had just returned from Nairobi where they had started a first class Christian magazine for one of the mission agencies. The magazine was a smashing success, even selling widely through secular channels. We were really impressed!
Tim spent a couple of hours interviewing Ralph, and evidently also spoke with several others in the area, then left. And we became engulfed in our ongoing struggle to make our mortgage payments and operate the Center at the same time.
Two years passed, and this conversation was forgotten. In the middle of that time, on September 1st, 1983, the balloon payment on the campus proper had come due. Thousands helped in our "I'll Touch Ten Campaign," but we were still so short of what we needed that we had to refinance at great cost to us.
About that time, we learned that the two largest associations of mission agencies in the world had accepted our invitation to have their triennial joint meeting on our campus in September of the following year. We were thrilled to be their hosts, but with little money and an inadequate staff, we had a thousand things to do to get ready for them.
In the meantime, our mortgage payments (now $300,000) came due, right on schedule every three months. By June, 1984, we had used up the very last of the $900,000 the Lord had so graciously given us the previous September. In late August we had only $100,000 toward the September 1st payment, and we wondered if Point Loma would have to
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foreclose on us just at the very time we were expecting the most important guests we had ever had. We couldn't be angry. Point Loma officials had been extremely patient with us through the years. We had great respect and appreciation for these officials, but how much more patience could we expect from them? Yet we didn't think we dared try another massive fund raising campaign so soon after the one of the previous year, even if we had the time and energy.
Toward the end of July, 1984, Tim Stafford called Ralph "to pursue our conversation a bit further." Ralph had forgotten about the article interview and only remembered his own point in the latter half of that conversation — about the possibility of Tim helping our university set up an M.A. program for mission field writers. Gradually it came out that Tim was calling to update the article he had written about Ralph. He explained that the article would likely be the cover story for the September issue of Christianity Today.
We were amazed and pleased. And yet, with the shadow of possible foreclosure, we had very mixed feelings. The magazine would hit the homes of America at a very critical time for us. We would have only 90 days to "cure" our situation (that is, pay up) or lose everything. If the article were friendly, it could help us. If, however, it were very critical, it could really hurt us in our present extremity. Needless to say, we waited a bit anxiously for the sample copy to arrive.
But, in any case, we really didn't have time to give much thought to the Christianity Today article. In just a few days, 425 mission executives from the over 200 mission agencies that make up the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (IFMA), the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (EFMA), and the Association of Evangelical Professors of Missions (AEPM) would arrive on our campus. And we still had an enormous amount of preparation to complete.
For almost a year, Darrell Dorr, our third daughter's very capable husband, had spent most of his time working out the
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practical arrangements for that conference. Because it would occur right after our fall semester began, our students would have to be housed temporarily in homes off campus. (Whose?) Broken down lounge furniture needed to be replaced with newly donated pieces. (Where would we get them?) We would need to buy more blankets and sheets. Some rooms had to be repainted, torn carpets replaced. Darrell had to decide which meetings would be where, where the conference office would be, how to furnish it, what extra phones needed to be installed, whether to install cold drink machines or set up a snack shop . . . details, details, details! But Darrell is an expert with details. He was perfect for the job.
As the time drew closer, however, even Darrell began to panic. "I just must have more help," he complained to Art McCleary one day.
"Okay. We'll have another big work party on Saturday. We'll assign everyone on staff to something or other. Some may have to pull weeds. Some will make beds. Some will have to clean bathrooms. Just make a list of the jobs, and we'll get it done."
Fortunately, Loren and Darlene Cunningham of Youth With a Mission came by the Center and volunteered some of their staff. "Listen, we have a gal who is tremendous with decorating rooms at no cost. Here is her name. Call her and see what she can do.
"Also, I think about twenty of our Olympic Outreach team are still in the area. We'll tell them to call you and help out."
I had worried about the unsightliness of three large potholes at the entrances to two of our parking lots. Estimates on their repair ran in the thousands of dollars. We didn't have that kind of money for potholes! Providentially, one of the YWAM volunteers was a Canadian engineer who had had experience in that very kind of thing! What amazing grace!
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After a few weeks of this kind of countdown, the campus looked better than we had ever seen it. It still had a long way to go to look like the Hilton, but it was neat and clean and fairly attractive though not luxurious. Dorm rooms which had lacked them now had curtains that matched the new (used) bedspreads! Staff and friends loaned potted plants, which brightened up the lounges and cafeteria. YWAM volunteers rounded up travel posters for dorm walls and put together hospitality kits made up from donated soap, combs, razors and snacks they had solicited from area merchants. Others may have thought how simple everything looked. To us, after getting by for so long on the proverbial shoestring, it was simply beautiful!
In the middle of all this frenzy of activity, the long-awaited issue of Christianity Today arrived. Ralph's secretary looked at the cover drawing and started to chuckle. "Mrs. Winter," she called as she headed into Ralph's office. "The article has arrived. Come! You've just got to see this!"
Others in nearby offices heard, and also came. They also laughed as they looked at the drawing of Ralph on the cover. It was multi-colored and, I suppose, quite good in technique since the art work took first prize at the Evangelical Press Association's annual meeting the next spring. But as Ralph's wife, I groaned. Inside it was worse, I felt. There were no photos of him, just duplicates of the same kind of spoof. "Why does it look so odd?" I asked. Then I saw it. It wasn't a clerical collar they had put on him, as I thought at first. (He had never worn one!) "That's the screw end of a light bulb! They've drawn his head to look like a light bulb!"
Everyone laughed. "I think it's rather cute!" one said. "It's a compliment, really, to show that he's full of bright ideas."
A compliment? Perhaps. Still he looked so bookish, rather like a man from Mars might look. Where was the twinkle in his eye that I loved so much? That didn't look like the man I was married to!
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Obviously it didn't bother Ralph. He was already deep into the article itself, and he waved us to other copies to read.
I found myself a bit on the defensive at first, then relaxed. "Tim is really quite generous, isn't he? It's very good!"
Ralph put it down, finally, with a smile of satisfaction. "Tim Stafford has stated some of our key ideas better than we ever have! It is really quite perceptive. I only wish it would say more about the Center and less about me."2
Evidently others also like the article. Not only the artist, but Tim also, as the writer, won a prize at the Evangelical Press Association — second place!
Because of the coming conference which we were going to host, Art McCleary, our general manager, hardly had time to look at the article. We really leaned on Art for everything. When he left the position of Personnel Director at Bethel College in Minneapolis the year before, he came expecting the same position with us. We found when he arrived that he was the very man we had been praying for for years. Deeply devout, he had years of experience in management with secular companies as well as twenty years with Bethel College. He was seminary trained, married to a missionary daughter, and his heart was in missions. Most amazing of all, he was willing to raise his own support, like the rest of us.
When Art and Elaine decided to join us, their friends in Minneapolis told them they were crazy. They had already applied to a number of mission agencies, and before coming to look us over, they fully intended to go with another group. His comments about those first days with us made us both wince and laugh: "One thing I knew for sure: I knew I was needed. I couldn't believe the way this place was run! If ever an organization needed an experienced manager, this was it!"
We knew that. Somehow people always assumed that the reason we didn't already have a top manager was because
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Ralph preferred to do his own management. They couldn't have been further from the truth. We had many willing, inexperienced young people who were heart and soul with us. And we had retired missionaries. But people in the critical middle years with management experience and vitality were sadly lacking. The result was that Ralph also had to bear much of that load — responsibility which he didn't want and in which he admittedly had little experience.
"That's why I felt the Lord led me here. Of all the agencies we could join, you needed me the most!" Art told us.
The week after he arrived he became not only the personnel manager, but the manager of the U.S. Center as well. Less than a year later, after the business manager of the University had to be hospitalized, Art became both General Manager of the Center and the Vice President for Business Affairs of the University as well. This happened only one month before the EFMA-IFMA conference was to begin. For any other person, it would have been an impossible task. Art merely commandeered an old golf cart and a walking talkie and was all over the campus, making sure Darrell's plans worked out.
All too soon the mission executives began to arrive. For the previous three weeks we had patiently waited for legal notice of foreclosure from Point Loma. It still had not come. "Why do you think it is taking so long?" Art asked Ralph.
"I can't imagine. When I called just last week, they assured me again that this was it. They said they were starting proceedings immediately. I just can't understand it! Not that we want it. I really dread it. But if it is going to come, the sooner we know it, the better. Then we'll have 90 days to do our best to "get current," as they say — 90 days which legally we are given. If we can't do that, then we either have to pay the complete amount or lose everything. It just may be that the shock of foreclosure will bring a lot of people to our aid. I really don't know. But waiting to see what will happen is very difficult."
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Under those circumstances it was hard to be the perfect hosts. You might say we were distracted. Ralph had to give one of the evening addresses, and I frankly wondered if he could even get his mind on the subject. And yet we knew that, if nothing else, we were pressed into prayer. God was teaching us to be completely dependent upon Him.
So far as I know, the night Ralph spoke was the first time in their history that the IFMA and the EFMA had ever taken up an offering for one of their member agencies. It just wasn't done. All of them had financial needs! The $3000 they gave us meant far more than the money itself. It was a promise that they would stand behind us in prayer at this most difficult time.
During the conference, we had already been impressed by their times of prayer. Obviously these were men and women of prayer. "Perhaps because of the prayers of such godly people, God will do another miracle for us in just a few weeks," many of us hoped. But we couldn't imagine just what it could be.
As it turned out, it wasn't a miracle just around the corner. It was a Gethsemane.
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1. The World Christian Encyclopedia by David Barrett, published by Oxford University Press (N.Y. 1982) is now, unfortunately out of print. It is the most comprehensive treatment ever to be made of Christianity around the world (2002 edition note: In 2001 Barrett, Kurian, and Johnson [Ralph and Roberta's son-in-Law] published a new, 2 volume edition of the World Christian Encyclopedia, and a companion volume called World Christian Trends was published by William Carey Library.)
2. "Ralph Winter: Looking for the Hidden Peoples," Christianity Today, September 7, 1984, pp. 14-18.
